Types of Cooling Systems
Types of cooling, air conditioner
Air conditioners take heat from your house and dump it outside.
There is more complex air conditioning or ventilation than convection. Air conditioners use energy to carry away heat instead of using energy to generate heat. A compressor cycle (similar to the one used by your refrigerator) is used by the most common air conditioning system to transfer heat from your home to the outside.
Imagine your home as a fridge. There is a compressor packed with a special fluid called a coolant on the outside. This fluid can alter from liquid to gas back and forth. It absorbs or releases heat as it changes, so it is used to "carry" heat from one place to another, such as from the inside of the fridge to the outside. Simple, okay?
Well, no. Well, no. And with all the checks and valves concerned, the method becomes a little more complex. But it has a notable impact. An air conditioner requires heat from a cooler spot and dumps it in a hotter spot, apparently operating against the physics legislation. Of course, what controls the method is electricity— actually quite a lot of it.
Types of Cooling Systems
Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps
Central heat pumps and air conditioners are intended to cool the entire home. In each scheme, the method is driven by a big compressor unit outside; an outdoor coil packed with refrigerant cools air that is then spread through ducts throughout the building. Heat pumps are like central air conditioners, except that during the summer months the process can be reversed and heated. (Heat pumps are outlined in more detail in the heating chapter.) The same vent scheme is used with a main air conditioner for forced cooling. Actually, the central air conditioner utilizes the oven fan typically to transfer air to the ducts.
Based on their annual power effectiveness proportion (SEER) since 1992, central air conditioners and air source heat pumps working in the cooling mode have been assessed. SEER is Btu's annual heating yield separated by the watt-hour annual energy contribution for an "average" U.S. environment. Different metrics were used before 1992, but many older main air conditioners ' output was equal to only 6 or 7 SEER scores. The average central air conditioner sold in 1988 had an equivalent SEER of about 9; it had risen to 11.1 by 2002. The national efficiency standard for central air conditioners and air source heat pumps now requires a minimum SEER of 13 (since 2006) and a SEER of 14.5 or higher is required to qualify for ENERGY STAR. Central air conditioners also come with an electricity effectiveness proportion (EER) rating, indicating greater temperature performance. ENERGY STAR-qualified designs must fulfill a 12 EER necessity.
Air conditioners and heat pumps use the refrigerant cycle to transfer heat between an inside unit and an outside uint. Heat pumps differ from air conditioners only in the special valve that allows the cycle to reverse, providing either warm or cool air to the inside.
New norms of effectiveness for central air conditioners will come into force in 2015. As with furnaces, the new standards will differ from region to region, with the South and Southwest being more stringent than the North. New central air conditioners purchased for South and Southwest assembly must fulfill a minimum of 14 SEER; the minimum of 13 SEER continues unaffected for devices produced in the North. Heat pumps from the air source must meet the minimum of 14 SEER irrespective of where they are installed. Moreover, a minimum of 12.2 EER (or 11.7 EER for bigger designs) must be met by central air conditioners mounted in the warm, humid Southwest.
Instead of a temporary measure, the heating efficiency of surface source thermal pumps is evaluated by the constant condition EER. The minimum standards for ground-source heat pumps for the ENERGY STAR program are 21.1 EER for open-loop devices, 17.1 EER for closed-loop devices and 16 EER for immediate extension units (DX).
Room Air Conditioners
Room air conditioners can be mounted in windows or through walls, but they work the same way in each case, with the compressor outside. Room air conditioners are sized to cool only one room, so for a whole house, a number of them may be needed. Individual devices cost less than core devices to purchase.
Room air conditioners are ranked by the EER only, which is a heating level separated by electricity consumption. The greater the EER, the more the air conditioner is effective. Revised national minimum effectiveness standards for air conditioners enacted in 2011 will come into force in June 2014; updated specifications for ENERGY STAR will come into impact in October 2013. Table 5.2 lists specifications for louvered sides devices — the most prevalent sort.
| Federal Standard min EER | ENERGY STAR min EER | ||
| Capacity (Btu/Hr) | as of Oct. 2014 | as of Oct. 2014 | As of July 2017 |
| less than 6,000 | 11.0 | 11.2 | 12.1 |
| 6,000 ro 7,999 | 11.0 | 11.2 | 12.1 |
| 8,000 to 13,999 | 10.9 | 11.3 | 12.0 |
| 14,000 to 19,999 | 10.7 | 11.2 | 11.8 |
| 20,000 to 24,999 | 9.4 | 9.8 | 10.3 |
| 25,000 or higher | 9.0 | 9.8 | 9.9 |
Evaporative Coolers
Evaporative coolers, sometimes referred to as swamp coolers, are less common than air conditioners for vapor compression (refrigerant), but in very dry areas such as the Southwest they are a practical alternative. They operate by bringing out fresh air through wet pads where evaporation cools the water. Then the warmer air flows through a building. This method is very comparable to getting chilly when you get out in the wind from a swimming pool. An evaporative cooler can reduce the outside air temperature by up to 30 degrees.
During the winter, they can save up to 75 percent on heating expenses because the engine is the only mechanical element that utilizes electricity. As the technique is easier, it can also cost much less to buy than a main air conditioner — often about half of it.
A immediate evaporative cooler contributes moisture to a building, which in very moist environments could be deemed a advantage. An indirect evaporative cooler is a little different because on one side of a heat exchanger the evaporation of water takes place. House air is compelled across the heat exchanger's other hand where it cools off but does not pick up moisture. With growing humidity, both kinds start to lose their efficiency as humid air is less capable of carrying extra moisture.
To do their work, evaporative coolers must be the correct size. An evaporative cooler's cooling capacity is evaluated not by the quantity of heat it can absorb (Btu), but by the fan force needed to circulate the cool air throughout the building, in cubic feet per minute (cfm). A nice law is to find out your house's cubic square footage and split it by 2. For instance, it would involve a 6,000 cfm cooler for a 1,500-square-foot building with 8-foot-high ceilings.
Ductless Mini-Split Air Conditioners
Mini-split schemes, which are very common in other nations, can be an appealing retrofit alternative for additional rooms and homes without ducts, such as those using hydronic heat (see Heating part). Mini-splits use an external compressor / condenser and internal air processing devices like standard central air conditioners. The distinction is that they have their own air handler in each space or area to be cooled. Each permanent device is linked via a conduit carrying the energy and refrigerant lines to the external unit. Typically, indoor units are attached to the wall or roof.
A ductless mini-split has the significant benefit of being flexible in cooling individual spaces or areas. It is simpler to satisfy the variable convenience requirements of distinct spaces by offering specialized units for each room.
Ductless mini-splits also prevent losses of energy connected with core forced-air structures by preventing the use of ductwork.
Mini-splits ' main disadvantage is expense. They charge much more than a typical central air conditioner of the same size that already has ductwork in location. But given the cost and energy costs connected with installing fresh ductwork for a central air conditioner, purchasing a ductless mini-split might not be such a poor idea, particularly given long-term energy savings. Talk to your company about the most cost-effective alternative for you.
State of the Art Cooling
Night Breeze is a fresh technology for house climate control intended to save energy in dry, warm environments. It is mainly an all-house electric fan, air conditioner, and indirect water heater built into one control system. The device brings in as much refreshing indoor water as possible during the winter to satisfy the cooling requirements— the air conditioner only switches on if needed. In the summer, the device is supplied by a water-to-air thermal exchanger stretching from the water heater.
The Coolerado Cooler is an evaporative cooling technique that is 100% indirect, also suitable for dry environments. With an energy consumption of 1,200 watts, it can give four to six tonnes of heat. Its power effectiveness percentage (EER) is 40 or greater, making it as effective as standard air conditioners two to three times as it is.
Thermal Energy Storage is the finest technology to simply shift energy consumption from peak to off-peak hours. It works by storing energy in ice— at night, electricity is used to freeze water, and throughout the house, the ice can cool air during the day. This technology is now accessible for housing use, which is most cost-effective for individuals living in environments that cool off at night and charge more for maximum energy use (e.g. in California).
